Heavy Hitters! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring heavy breeds and heavy breed crosses!
Did you know that dressage riders who choose a heavy hitter as their mounts are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the Draft Cross Breeders & Owners Association(among several others!) is a participating organization!
Here, a Region 4 adult amateur updates us on her Gypsy Vanner horse, Guinness Stout, and shares how they have begun and begun again to strengthen their partnership!
By Sarah Kossak
When you last read about my Gypsy Vanner, Guinness Stout (or Jack, as he’s known around the barn), and me on YourDressage two years ago in “A Pint of Guinness Stout,” we were beginning our dressage partnership alongside my then-nine-year-old son, Aiden. While Aiden started learning how to ride, I decided Jack was going to be my official partner in dressage, and I would be his special person.
Fast forward two years, and a lot has changed! My son, now a tween, slowly let go of riding, realizing it wasn’t a passion for him the way it was for me. I think a lot of mothers go through this when they purchase a horse for their child with the hope of it “sticking.” And while their child loves the horse, riding is no longer their first interest, and other hobbies or sports interests begin to develop. After all, my son is a child and learning about who he is as well.
I never wanted to be that mother who pushed riding when it was clear that it was no longer a passion. Every experience is a learning experience, and patience and responsibility, along with friendship, were big life lessons for Aiden. Thankfully, my stout horse became my dancing partner four years ago. We set some pretty lofty goals together, and Jack became my best friend.
I wish I could say that every journey doesn’t have some struggle, but if it were that easy, we would all be competing at the Olympics. The last year and a half was a struggle; two steps forward and one step back kind of struggle.
The facility where we boarded Jack was for sale, and we were told we had to move with little notice. A friend kindly allowed him and another horse that boarded at the same facility to stay at her private farm until we could find long-term accommodations. I quickly realized that Jack took it quite hard, being one of the last remaining horses at his boarding facility with no herd for a while, then moving to a new location where he took on the unwanted role of leader between himself and his friend that came with him.
Then came one of the wettest spring and summer seasons in history, with no indoor arena, so consistent training was hard. Jack gained a large amount of weight, became metabolic, had body soreness from stress, and his tack no longer fit him. We went to a few shows, but it was apparent that Jack was not himself. By the grace of God, a stall became available at a dressage facility nearby, and co-owner and trainer Jennifer Ebling of JLH Dressage at Bella Vista Farm helped guide us, both mentally and physically, to who we are today.
This past winter, after our final relocation, was rough, but also the most rewarding. Jack began to lose the weight he had accumulated, started to relax, and found new friends that he didn’t have to oversee. But, persistent lameness issues kept us asking a lot of questions that we never had before. Jack was always my rock-solid tank that never had a vet bill. Jack never got hurt.
After a shoulder injury, an abscess, and the discovery that his stifles were hurting, I realized that Jack wasn’t ten years old anymore; he was 16. We began Pro-Stride injections, which finally helped his stifles. While troubleshooting Jack’s medical issues, we kept moving at the walk for three months while riding bareback and rehabbing.
I read the book “Begin and Begin Again” by Danny Emerson, off the recommendation of a friend, and did exactly that: Jack and I began again. With the guidance of our new trainer, we used those precious three months to forge a new partnership at the walk. We started over with our communication and connection with one another. I learned how to relax, be calm, and support Jack. I also learned how to LISTEN and FEEL what Jack was telling me.
By the beginning of April, Jack was back to feeling fantastic. He had lost weight, his blood sugars were back to normal, his stifles gave no indication of pain, and his saddle fit again! We began to introduce the trot and then the canter, while maintaining our new partnership of open communication with each other. Jack’s anxiety started to ease, and we began to trust one another completely. I made a promise to Jack that I would always listen to him and be there as a partner, for better or worse. We registered for our first recognized show this season at the end of May, and by July, we had accomplished every initial goal that I set out when we first began our dressage partnership four years ago. Only this time, we did it in three months!
We have had a very blessed year, earning an abundance of ribbons from the recognized shows where we competed. Together, we earned a first-place championship ribbon, a reserve championship ribbon, a third-place championship ribbon, a High Point Training Level ribbon, and the most first-place ribbons we have ever won. But our fourth-place ribbon is my favorite ribbon – as it was earned with our highest score ever, at 68%, in a very talented class of horses and riders. AND we qualified for the Great American/USDF Region 4 Dressage Championships at Training Level!
Qualifying for and competing at regional championships has been on my initial goal board since I started showing at recognized shows four years ago. We also competed at First Level, and earned seventh place in a very competitive class.
We have had an incredible year! Jack and I earned our USDF Horse Performance Certificates and Rider Performance Certificates at both Training Level and First Level, respectively. This also completed the First Level scores requirement for my USDF Bronze Medal. Jack also received recognition in both 2024 and 2025 in the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards for the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, placing third and fourth in the country at Training Level.
Three months of rehab at the walk under saddle was the greatest gift that could have happened to Jack and me. If I have any advice to offer, it is to never stop learning and working with your horse. Even if it means ground work only or under saddle at the walk for months on end. Through a determination to better myself at training Jack, and with the guidance of my trainer and her expertise, we have a whole new, deeper relationship, and it feels like the possibilities are endless.
We are beginning again, and it feels fantastic! Jack and I are training over the winter to qualify at First Level, and do the freestyle ride that we set out to do the last time we were introduced on YourDressage!
